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A twisty, compelling new novel about one woman’s complicated relationship with her mother-in-law that ends in death…
From the moment Lucy met her husband’s mother, she knew she wasn’t the wife Diana had envisioned for her perfect son. Exquisitely polite, friendly, and always generous, Diana nonetheless kept Lucy at arm’s length despite her desperate attempts to win her over. And as a pillar in the community, an advocate for female refugees, and a woman happily married for decades, no one had a bad word to say about Diana…except Lucy.
That was five years ago.
Now, Diana is dead, a suicide note found near her body claiming that she longer wanted to live because of the cancer wreaking havoc inside her body.
But the autopsy finds no cancer.
It does find traces of poison, and evidence of suffocation.
Who could possibly want Diana dead? Why was her will changed at the eleventh hour to disinherit both of her children, and their spouses? And what does it mean that Lucy isn’t exactly sad she’s gone?
Fractured relationships and deep family secrets grow more compelling with every page in this twisty, captivating new novel from Sally Hepworth.
Praise for Sally Hepworth:
“With jaw-dropping discoveries, and realistic consequences, this novel is not to be missed. Perfect for lovers of Big Little Lies.” —Library Journal, starred review
“Hepworth deftly keeps the reader turning pages and looking for clues, all the while building multilayered characters and carefully doling out bits of their motivations.” —Booklist
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I listened to this one about a mother-in-law in Australia who is one of those people who seems really aloof and distant but actually has a big heart – not that anyone would know. Very interesting, suspenseful book. Great for walking or running through the neighborhood during lockdown.
Diana is a tough cookie — very wealthy woman and mother with two sides — the caring and compassionate advocate of refugees and the mother who will not coddle her adult kids even when it comes to something like helping to pay for fertility expenses. Her relationship with her daughter-in-law, Lucy, is especially complex. Lucy craves a mother figure following the death of her own mother, but cannot seem to connect to Diana. Tom is the father that all love, but he has a debilitating illness. Ollie and Nettie said kids who cannot seem to pay for their own needs. This novel is written from varying points of view, and chronicles these different relationships. When Diana is found dead, murdered it turns out, suspicion has may places to fall. This book starts out slowly and picks up steam as it progresses. In the end, an interesting read and an ending I did not predict until close to that point.
What sets this book apart is the character of the mother, who becomes a mother-in-law. The narration alternates between daughter-in-law Lucy and mother-in-law Diana, both portraying a fascinating psychological profile of Diana as a rather distant woman whose roots and intentions were influenced by the similar personality of her own mother. The story switches between present and past, and builds around the immediate family, and the cause of Diana’s suspicious death. It’s a thought-provoking book that got me thinking about the relationships, obligations and expectations between parents and their children.
A brilliantly crafted story of how two people forced to unite as “family” can misunderstand one another for years—getting in their own ways, as all beautifully flawed humans do—only to find love, friendship, and understanding in spite of unrealized good intentions. Sally Hepworth, long a favorite of mine, is at her all-time best as she deftly navigates the dual points of view of the titular mother-in-law and her daughter-in-law struggling to make sense of her mysterious death. At the core of it all lies a page-turning mystery with a satisfying, if heartbreaking, conclusion. My highest recommendation—perfect for book clubs and readers who love this intersection of family drama and suspense.
I read one of Sally Hepworth’s earlier novels last year and immediately connected with her writing style and storytelling approach. I marked the rest of her books as TBR, then saw The Mother-in-Law available via NetGalley. I was lucky enough to be approved for an ARC earlier this week and began reading it right away. What an emotional and angst-ridden tale about the relationship between several family members who can feel all too real and all too fake at the exact same time. I truly enjoyed this book and give it 4.5 stars. Let’s get into some specifics…
Lucy lost her mother when she was young. Although her father was wonderful, she never felt that connection with an older female who could guide her through becoming a mother, caring for a family, or securing your own position in the world as a strong, intelligent woman. When she meets Ollie, and he wants to introduce her to his family, Lucy is nervous but hopeful it fills a hole that’s been growing for far too long. Unfortunately, when Lucy meets his mother, Diana, it becomes quite clear that won’t happen.
Diana had a difficult childhood and was essentially almost forced to give Ollie up as a baby. When she was kicked out, Diana learned how to build something from nothing and to care for her family when she didn’t even have a place to live. She used that savvy experience to become a major player in an organization that helps young women trying to escape from difficult circumstances in their own country and move to America for a better life. Diana also developed a thick skin and an attitude that no one should be given a handout without working for it in return.
Although the story alternates chapters from Lucy’s and Diana’s viewpoints throughout the decade they know one another, there are other characters who help show what each woman is truly made of. Diana’s husband, Tom, is the complete opposite of her; he’s a lovable, genuine, and thoughtful husband and father who gets sick. Ollie’s sister and her husband are desperate for a baby and go to the extremes to make it happen with or without their family’s support and money. Ollie’s best friend becomes his business partner and wreaks havoc on a complex family relationship. Then there’s the 3 young children Ollie and Lucy have during that first decade. Throw in Diana’s untimely death, mysterious circumstances that make it look like a suicide but also a murder… and you’ve got quite a psychological exploration of what it means to be a parent and an in-law.
This book explores that fine line of how you say things without coming across as insensitive or rude, how you determine when to let a mistake happen so a new parent learns on her own how to care for the child, and how you deal with making a decision when you and your spouse are on opposite sides of how to best support your children. At times, Diana was truly a horrific witch of a human being. You come to realize she kinda knows the way she’s behaving is wrong, but it’s been ingrained in her. When she softens, you want to root for her. You want to believe she will turn that corner and do the right thing. Then she goes in the opposite direction, unlike Lucy, who is nearly consistent almost the entire time. She sucks it up when Diana is rude or distant. She does all the things she doesn’t want to do just so she doesn’t look like she’s being difficult. Until something bad happens, then Lucy blows up.
While 90% of me sides with Lucy, I do understand Diana’s approach. And it works in many circumstances; however, there comes a time when you let someone try to help themselves for only so long before it becomes too late. If you have an excess of money, and your children need it, don’t hold on to it forever if they have put years into helping themselves only to fail for reasons out of their control. Eventually, Diana begins to see the light, but it’s too late. Too much has been set in action, and her death is imminent. Was she murdered by one of these people who felt she went too far? Did she commit suicide because she felt guilty? Was it a freak and unexpected accident? You’ll have to read the book to find out, but I believe it’s worth it.
I couldn’t put the novel down. If I did, within 15 minutes, I kept telling myself ‘just one more chapter.’ Hepworth is brilliant at displaying angst, love, pain, and despair in a family who needs a little therapy to heal and forgive. It’s down-to-earth, regular actions and words that remind you of your own world (not the drama necessarily, but the way people relate to one another) feel comfortable yet push you just enough to question how you think about a situation. I adored this book and would love to give it a full 5-stars, but there were a few items I thought could have been a bit more tidy to be absolutely perfect. The ending is ‘ten years’ in the future which is great, but I would love to have seen some of the immediate drama after Diana’s death. We get a lot, but once the true reason she died is discovered, there’s a bit of a windy wrap-up without a clear enough focus on everyone’s reactions to the truth. I don’t want to spoil this surprise, but ultimately, if you’re gonna throw a curveball at us, give us a few reactions from the rest of the people involved so we sense a complete and thorough emotional see-saw when learning what happened to your family member.
That said, it’s a high recommendation from me… can’t wait to see what others think when it comes out in early 2019.
There is something fascinating about the relationship between a woman and her mother-in-law. It starts when the women are mature people, set in their ways. The boundaries of the relationship are ill defined and nebulous, so easy to step over by accident or on purpose, bruising feelings irrevocably.
I’ve been a fan of Sally Hepworth since I read her beautiful book, The Things We Keep, and with her newest release she has finally achieved that high bar again. This Mother-In-Law is a completely different book, more domestic suspense than women’s fiction, but equally enjoyable. I devoured it in two days, fiendishly turning the pages to figure out what happened to Diana, which or her family members was involved in her death and why. This is a book for anyone who loves a twisty turny suspense novel, who loves well developed characters and believable motivations. I loved every minute and I can’t wait for her next book.
There is a lot to like about this book. Good writing. Actually, great writing. Strong character development with an interesting backstory technique. It is hard to imagine anyone disliking this novel, written in the alternating daughter-in-law/mother-in-law points of view.
I do have one drawback. For some unfathomable reason close to the end of he book, the author tossed in a short chapter in the daughter’s voice. The information in that chapter was relayed in a subsequent wrap-up chapter and not needed for clarification. The errant voice was, in my opinion, unnecessary and disrupted the flow of the story.
I also have one comment regarding the publisher’s choice to market this very entertaining story as a mystery. It is not. Yes, the reader has to wait until the end to learn the how and when and why, but this book is not a mystery in the strict sense of the term. It is pure women’s fiction. And, Sally Hepworth has written one of the best women’s fiction novels I’ve had the pleasure of reading in years.
Well worth a read. This was a fantastic little find and it kept me guessing throughout the whole book.
It’s an ordinary day for Lucy. The kids are arguing over a television program, her husband Ollie is cooking burgers on the barbecue, and the house is a mess. When police knock on the door, Lucy knows what it will be about.
“I close my eyes because I already know what she is going to say. My mother-in-law, (Diana) is dead.”
A suicide note is found next to Diana but things don’t add up. She was an upstanding member of the community with high standards. She also happens to be very wealthy and questions begin piling up. When Ollie and his sister, Nettie both desperate for money, find out that the will was changed only weeks earlier, things really begin to get interesting.
The story is told mostly from two points of view, Lucy and Diana. We get inside the heads of both women, feeling their pain as their secrets unfold. When Lucy met Diana, she hoped for a mother figure to replace her own long dead mother but is disappointed by her mother-in-law’s coldness.
I liked the intricacies of the relationships between every member of the family and secrets are revealed nicely so that the reader understands why they behave the way they do. Diana’s harsh upbringing and the way she treats her children makes sense when you find out what happened to her as a teenager. Her husband Tom is a saint keeping the peace between his children and his wife.
It’s an intricate story weaving back and forth between the main characters. In fact, each character is well drawn and the changing relationship particularly between Lucy and Diana is very well done.
This is another great book by a Melbourne author who also happens to be a New York Times best seller. If you’re looking for something fantastic to read during the holiday season or a great gift, then grab this one.
This book is a great perspective-changer. The characters twist and turn with such remarkable ease that the reader will never again give up on anyone easily.
Read it one sitting, and I can’t remember the last time I did that. Sally doesn’t make any cheap choices in this novel; every character is nuanced and relatable. Side note: my two moms loved it, too, and we’re having a special lunch just to discuss it.
There were so many things I loved about this book. The characters felt so very real to me, and that made the story powerful from the start. I was drawn in by Lucy and Diana’s close narration of their experiences in this ‘normal’ family, and I adored the way Hepworth builds tension and makes you question your assumptions as the story unfolds. The explosive ending comes as a shock and I did not guess the outcome- not even close. I highly recommend this book to anyone who reads, and especially to anyone who has a mother in law.
Now what did I stumble upon here? A fantastic thriller, yes! A new app to listen to audiobooks, yes! And a new author to binge read, heck yes! The Mother-in-Law by Sally Hepworth is both an incredible thriller and a comedic relief at times.
Lucy and Ollie are a young couple living in Melbourne, Australia with their three young children. Let’s not forget Ollie’s parents, Tom and Diana, sister Nettie and her husband Patrick. From the outside this family appears to be picture perfect. But everyone knows the difficulties families have with in-laws.
When Lucy married Ollie, she desperately wanted to be accepted into his family, especially by his mother Diana. But from day one, Diana is distant and restrained. While the rest of Ollie’s family embraces Lucy, she simply can’t do anything right in Diana’s eyes. Lines are crossed; tensions rise, and the two simply have a love/hate relationship. That is until Diana is found dead.
With a suicide note found in her desk drawer, and euthanasia drugs in her system, police are hesitant to call this a full-out suicide. The entire family is called in for questioning but soon we discover everyone’s true dark secrets when it comes to their relationship with Diana. Who is responsible for Diana’s death? Could she really have killed herself, or is there someone closer to home wanting her dead for sinister reasons?
This story was seriously not what I expected at all! From the massive plot twists, to the comedic dialogue of both Lucy and Diana, I was both gasping at the turns and laughing at the sarcasm. I am completely blown away by Sally Hepworth’s writing style. How was this my first book by her? Let’s just say, there will be more book reviews of Hepworth!
I really loved how we are drawn into the family’s dynamics. Each person has their love and frustration with Diana, yet they also have something to hide. What really brings out the lies and secrets from this family is the two shifting perspectives of Lucy and Diana as the narrators. We go from past and present where we get glimpses into the real complicated past of this family.
This book is fast-paced and refreshing with both the plot twists and the hilarious dialogue of the characters. If you’re looking for a captivating and thought provoking summer read, look no further than The Mother-in-Law by Sally Hepworth. I highly recommend this book! Stay tuned for more reviews of Hepworth’s books, because they are epic!
Read full review here: https://bit.ly/2T1IrAE
The Mother-in-Law was an engrossing look at family! I enjoyed the way that the relationships were portrayed and the way that the scenes were presented. Lucy is married to Ollie. They have three young children. While Lucy adores Ollie’s father Tom, she struggles constantly with his mother Diana. Diana is just slightly past being friendly and loving. So, their days and interactions are always interesting, especially with Lucy and Ollie’s young children around. Add to the mix Ollie’s sister Nettie and her husband and their life, and everything really is interesting. But then one day Diana is found dead and it appears to be a suicide, but then so much more will be revealed to shock everyone and leave the family hanging on more. I really enjoyed the characters and their stories. The inter-workings of this extended family and their interactions are wonderful as author Sally Hepworth delves into all of their relationships.
I loved this story and thoroughly recommend the book!!! Sally is a great story teller and I have now read quite a few of her books. I loaned this to a friend, who also then went back and read through her back list. You won’t be disappointed. I couldn’t put it down and read it all in a day!
Perspective can be so important! Told from the two POVs of the eager to please daughter-in-law and the titular mother-in-law the story evolved into so much more that a simple murder mystery widening the story with unexpected twists and turns right up until the ending. Things are definitely not as the two main characters assume. After reading this book, I immediately had to go back to review events from a new light. A fascinating and intriguing read!
Thank you to Netgalley for a free ARC of this book in exchange for my unbiased review.
The Mother-in-Law didn’t quite live up to its potential for me. It’s more women’s fiction than mystery, although there is a mystery involved. However, by the time I made it to the big reveal, my question wasn’t who killed Diana, but who didn’t want to. The book comes across as preachy, and I quickly grew irritated at the number of times Diana mentions or thinks about what could feed a third-world nation. Charity is a wonderful thing, but I kept thinking maybe Diana should’ve looked in the mirror before passing judgment about how someone else might spend their own money. And she really needed a lesson about charity beginning at home. That aside, what most of the story boils down to is two women who get off on the wrong foot and can’t seem to find their way back with tidbits of who killed Diana thrown in here and there. Maybe my disappointment stems from expecting one thing and finding another, so take my opinion for what it’s worth, but this one was clearly not for me.
Sally Hepworth knows just what buttons to push to bring tears to your eyes and contentment to your heart. Set in Australia, The Mother-in-Law is a compelling tale of family, all the things that draw a family together, and those missteps that pull them apart. Told in the first person voices of Lucy Goodwin and her mother-in-law Diana, with traveling snippets from the past interposed in the present, this is a story that is very difficult to step away from.
The protagonists in this novel aren’t all compassionate, or empathetic, or even honest. But they are all captivating and flaws are what makes us all human. Tom started his adult life as a plumber and as soon as he begins pulling in cash with realty investments, Diana set up a charity to help unwed mothers bear and keep their babies, and fit into their world as a self-sufficient single parent. She also works with refugees who need help with medical care and midwifery. The elder Goodwins have had a full life, been very lucky in their choices and live very comfortably. Tom loves to tease the second generation about what they will do with that fortune in time. Diana insists passionately that the kids must make it on their own, that they have to learn to depend only on themselves. Tom often loans them money behind her back.
Their son Ollie is married to Lucy and with his partner, Eamon, has a shaky headhunter business, a modern but middle-class home, and three children. Despite an IT degree and experience in the human resources field, Lucy is a stay at home mom.
Daughter Nettie is married to Patrick and despite years of miscarriages and expensive IVF, Nettie is not able to carry a child to term. It has become an obsession with her. She does not see that her husband Patrick is a lazy womanizer, just hanging on until Nettie comes into her half of the Goodwin fortune. Diana sees it all too well.
And then Tom is diagnosed with advanced ALS. He is gone much too fast. Eamon is siphoning cash out of Ollie’s company, so no matter how hard he works he can’t get ahead. And Nettie’s doctors tell her that with her history and the fact that she will soon be 40 there is no sense in more in-vitro fertilization. Nettie decides to go with a donated egg and surrogate mother – she WILL have a child. It is all she ever wanted. If Diana will just loan her the massive piles of cash that will cost.
Everything could end differently if Diana were able to show affection or explain her harsh decisions to the kids. But she can’t seem to do that. If something doesn’t change and fast, this family will fall apart. Or maybe it is already too late…
I received a free electronic copy of this novel from Netgalley, Sally Hepworth, and St. Martin’s Press. I have read and reviewed this novel of my own volition. This assessment of this work reflects my honest opinion.
A mother-in-law who didn’t like you from the second she met you.
A mother-in-law who had a secret from her youth.
A mother-in-law who loved her charity more than she loved her kids, and told them they just can’t have things given to them.
A mother-in-law who disinherited her children a few days before her death but had her reasons.
A mother-in-law who was found dead with a suicide note but with circumstances that didn’t point to suicide.
And…a mother-in-law who actually wasn’t that bad after all was said and done.
But….could a family member be involved in her death? Would you think a family member would do that to their mother/mother-in-law?
THE MOTHER-IN-LAW moved along quickly with the short chapters revealing all present and past family situations and giving information about how Diana treated her children and their spouses and how she felt about her charity.
The book is filled with secretive characters that keep you from actually knowing what they are thinking or planning to do or even if they are telling the truth.
THE MOTHER-IN-LAW is an all-around good domestic suspense with a few twists that pop up and that might have you looking at some of your family members in a different light.
It will also keep you guessing if a family member did kill Diana or if she committed suicide.
Ms. Hepworth has written another book with family at the heart of it as always as well as other things to ponder. 4/5
This book was given to me by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
The Mother-In-Law is a real page turner that left me guessing until close to the end. It is told in multiple point of views and times, but thanks to clear headings and different voices, it is very easy to keep track of the story. The story is very realistic – this is something that could easily happen in actual life, which makes it all more suspenseful. Sally Hepworth is a very talented storyteller, and this book is another 5 star win for her!
I received an advance reader copy of this book.